Land Rights dovetailing with Peoples' Assembly movement

[Mark Barrett]

Dear All

On our interaction with the above matter it would be excellent to create a
horizontal UK-wide platform for a more participatory approach and
potentially radical alternative political and economic set of demands,
policies and practices to emerge from within (and/or outside) the Peoples
Assembly against Austerity movement.

If you would like to be involved in such an initiative a preliminary
meeting is being convened for 6.30pm Wed 17th July. Please get in touch
 if you would like to know more.

*Here is the info on local PA work as sent out very recently by the
Coalition of Resistance / PA team:*
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dd957c6eb39e2c25a43db43d5&id=4e595aa8c7&e=

*Here is their official guidance for local groups *
http://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/guidance-for-local-groups/

*Here is what I have written so far about process of the meetings in London* as
follow-on PA organising meetings, please comment / add your own insights :

So far there have been quite good turn outs on London geographical lines ie
North London East London Lambeth are the ones I know about but also West
London and others are in pipeline  which it would be good to attend and
interact with and identify fellow travellers on the participatory front

A variety of chair / facilitating styles but a tendency to go down the old
way of doing the meetings and rallies while calling them assemblies and
also to avoid discussion about the need for a new politics, genuine
participation and a new political system. However when the issues have been
raised they have been responded to  quite well in some respects and there
has been a 50/50 or near split ie a sizeable minority or more than half in
favour of a new approach. We have also seen a potentially creative tension
between organising for the big left set pieces like Tory Conference and so
forth and the need to develop sustainable platforms for ordinary people to
make their voice heard and build a democratic democracy movement from the
grassroots.

Therefore we are encouraging people to promote resolutions to take forward
the participatory agenda in solidarity with the traditional left agenda and
as a means to develop a genuine and positive better alternative to the
present system while also defending the welfare state and public services
we have - however flawed - from cuts. Also to create Minutes of the meeting
 independent of the official ones where needed.  In Lambeth a democracy
group was proposed and formed at the planning meeting, for example, and is
being convened by one of Occupy London's Real Democracy Working Group
people. * It might also be worth considering whether local groups like
Occupy should make some kind of statement in critical support of the
statement and process  *

As  at the end of the day we are talking about a getting beyond the  old
socialist model some of us in London are discussing use of social media
tech aswell as an independent platform within the movement to push for a
more radical alternative political agenda aswell as a more horizontal
process.

If you are interested in connecting up over this please get in touch so we
can start creating a London / UK wide comms infrastructure - and also of
course please encourage fellow horizontalist / participatory and also tech
people  elswhere in the UK to do the same. It would be excellent to have
remote attendance on the 17th from elsewhere say by way of google hang out
or other platform.

I hope this is of interest

Cheers

Mark

http://occupylondon.org.uk/
http://www.peoplesassemblies.org
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